Tool presetting fixtures have previously been used on such machine tools as boring machines, milling machines, and machining centers which are equipped with automatic controls, for example, numerical control by a tape. Such preset fixtures may be as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,518,769. Multiple spindle machines, however, are older than such numerical control machining centers, yet typically have been used for long part-runs of one million or more parts, for example. Because of such long part-runs, it previously has not been considered essential that a quick setup time for a new workpiece was essential. Accordingly, the setup time for a new workpiece might be one to two days. However, in companies with short runs, it is often necessary to shorten the setup time of a multiple spindle machine tool because shorter runs of production parts mean that the setup time is a greater proportion of the total time for that production job.
It was previously known to utilize a presetting fixture which was of an L-shape for gaging two different perpendicular dimensions of a tool tip, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,781. Also, different gage fixtures have been proposed where a swinging arm was used as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,442; however, this was only for the purpose of accommodating different diameter tools in different diameter sockets.
Accordingly, the problem to be solved is how to provide a tool presetting fixture for use in a multiple spindle automatic machine tool, wherein three different mutually perpendicular dimensions may be gaged of a tool tip on a tool in the tool holder. Further, the problem to be solved is how to gage the dimension of the tool tip relative to the centerline of the workpiece.